Encouraging Sue

I found this post to be incredibly heart-felt and inspiring. In her post where she actually began a test build [of her Canvas course (aka 'classroom') Sue Elvins shares her journey in designing a Canvas course. We often get a lot of design questions from new users in the community (especially in the Q & A), but we hardly get to read an educator's workflow unfolding. This is a great reminder that we've all been there... we've all had to figure out Canvas (on our own or via training or both) and find ways to adapt and re-purpose our existing content into a new 'classroom' environment. Keep pressing forward, Sue Elvins! But most importantly, keep asking questions and sharing your journey with the Canvas Community. We're all here to help and support you!

Managing Newbie Faculty in Canvas

Whether you've been the faculty attending a training or the team delivering the training, we've all spent a professional development day (hour, week) in Canvas. So, what advice do you have for managing teacher professional development in Canvas? David Weber, Director of Curriculum, Educational Programs and Assessment at a K12 school asks this question in the K-12 group. Kristin Lundstrum and Chris Long chime in with great answers, but I'm willing to bet there are many more tips from others in our community who have faced similar challenges.

Engage Faculty Development in Canvas Groups

The idea of leveraging Canvas (courses or groups) for faculty development isn't new, but leveraging 'private groups' within the Canvas Community is certainly a different option many schools are exploring. Jeremy Van Kley wants to hear more feedback on ways to better engage faculty within the Higher Education audience, specifically adjunct faculty with a 'private group' in the Canvas Community. Private groups can be customized to facilitate conversations, moderate questions, and broadcast information, while still leveraging the resources within the Canvas Community. Contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM) for further information about these private groups (aka 'client groups').

A CanvasLIVE webinar related to Encouraging Professional Development has been suggested and is in development (be sure to 'follow' the CanvasLIVE space to get notifications of all upcoming offerings). There's also a suggestion for a Centers for Teaching and Learning group in the Community to help network folks who work to train and develop their teachers and faculty. Vote this group suggestion up (or, if you're really passionate about spear-heading this group, contact Biray Seitz to see about becoming the Group Leader of this group).

Lots of good networking stuff happening. Keep helping each other out. And have a productive week!

Just wanted to leave a few thoughts... I had a few issues going on that kept me from moving forward but wanted to let you all know I'm back once again and moving forward with where I left off and actually spent most of the late morning and afternoon in recreating what was put in tact. While doing so I ended up discovering and learning how to build the classroom with Canvas and make it better. By doing this it actually gave me a better ability to fix up matters so verbiage stays in consistency and does not fall. Needless to say I'm back and have corrected my errors in the classroom structure so it is more crisp, clean and easier to maneuver through.